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Black bear near fairbanks

I moved to the area this year and I have an expensive tag to fill before it's too late. I bought a moose locking tag in hopes for a moose or caribou and have had no luck at all so I guess I will try for atleast a black bear. Some meat is better than none. Anyone interested I helping me fill my tag respond or pm me. Would appreciate any help or advice.
I've been a very successful hunter every year in the lower 48 for 20 years but haven't had any luck up here.

Any really good hot spots down that way that may be pretty much guaranteed a black bear?

Seriously?
If any of us knew of such a place wouldn't we be hunting it ?
Or at a minimum not giving it away to strangers on the internet.
Get out and do some scouting and glassing. That's the best way to find game.
Internet scouting is highly frowned upon on most forums including this one.

I know that lol. I just meant an area. Most people I talk to up here don't even hunt bear. With as open as the season is around the state I just assumed there is a big population of them if most don't hunt them. I've been out scouting and looking since May. Not a single bear sighting. I'm not one of those guys looking for someone secret spot. Just a general idea.

This exemplifies the #1 misperception made by folks from the L-48. Fact is, there's not a game animal hiding behind every tree in Alaska.

...he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods & errors. ~Thomas Jefferson
I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief. ~Gerry Spence
The last thing Alaska needs is another bigot. ~member Catch It#Resist

No its not cause I'm from the lower 48 like most who live here. It's because like I said before. Most areas the season is open year round and you can take 3-5 bears a year. I never said anything about a lot of game

....Most areas the season is open year round and you can take 3-5 bears a year.....

Yes, there are a lot of blackies in AK.. the problem is, unless you manage to find one on a hillside, most of them hang out in the thick stuff. Find a place that you can glass multiple hillsides from the road, or a trail that can lead you back to some. Then glass, glass, glass. Other than that, or baiting, it's only by chance that you may catch one that's not out in the open.

Sheep hunting...... the pain goes away, but the stupidity remains...!!!

Yes, there are a lot of blackies in AK.. the problem is, unless you manage to find one on a hillside, most of them hang out in the thick stuff. Find a place that you can glass multiple hillsides from the road, or a trail that can lead you back to some. Then glass, glass, glass. Other than that, or baiting, it's only by chance that you may catch one that's not out in the open.

Find a hillside with an exposed berry patch with some mature timber below it- that's your best bet for black bears on a spot and stalk. The Interior is some tough hunting for black bears because of the miles and miles of unbroken forest. They're there...just hard to find them- which is why baiting is popular here.

River bottoms and marshes can be productive, more so in the spring than fall but it is open ground. Bears are in hyperphagia now and will eat nearly around the clock so finding an active bear in the daytime is more likely. Areas without timber like high tundra are more likely to contain griz than black bear, so I wouldn't waste my time if there aren't trees near.

"I do not deal in hypotheticals. The world, as it is, is vexing enough..." Col. Stonehill, True Grit

Find a hillside with an exposed berry patch with some mature timber below it- that's your best bet for black bears on a spot and stalk. The Interior is some tough hunting for black bears because of the miles and miles of unbroken forest. They're there...just hard to find them- which is why baiting is popular here.

River bottoms and marshes can be productive, more so in the spring than fall but it is open ground. Bears are in hyperphagia now and will eat nearly around the clock so finding an active bear in the daytime is more likely. Areas without timber like high tundra are more likely to contain griz than black bear, so I wouldn't waste my time if there aren't trees near.

Any really good hot spots down that way that may be pretty much guaranteed a black bear?

There are places down in Southcentral that are arguably better for spot and stalk black bear, but the words guarantee, hunting, and Alaska rarely (if ever) belong in the same sentence. If I had 5-7 days to spend down in the Kenai Mountains, I feel like I would have really good odds of bringing home a bear. That said, it is highly dependent on hunting skills, fitness, drive, familiarity with the terrain and quarry, etc.

Even in areas with multiple bear limits, don't expect to be spoon-fed "general" areas. That said, trail systems in Unit 7 that get you up into the alpine would be worth a look if you can set aside the time. Don't expect guarantees, though. There is a reason that typical advice for first-year residents usually consists of focusing on small game hunting, scouting, and familiarizing oneself with game and areas before committing to an expensive tag.

Totally understand. I definitely have been out alot and all over the place. Have learned a few things and of course still alot more to go. I've been up here several times all over the state in the past years before moving here. Thanks for the advice.